Chapter 177: Hunt. (2) (2/2)
“…*gulp*.”
She was nervous he would suddenly open his eyes and glare at her. She pressed the herbs to Deculein’s arm, wrapped the bandage tightly around the wound, then washed off his blood with water…
[Quest Completed: Great Tiger Hunt]
◆Defeat the Demon Tiger of the Altar [Besillita]
◆Acquire rare constitution catalog
The long-awaited quest completion notification popped up in her mind.
*****
…The snow didn’t stop falling in the north, to the point that after a few days, it was easy to be fed up with it, without stopping for a single day, falling every hour.
“Epherene.”
Epherene was watching the snowstorm outside the window.
“Epherene.”
Behind his desk, the Professor sat and watched her.
“Epherene, answer me.”
“Oh, what?”
She belatedly came to her senses. Then, Deculein handed over a large envelope.
“Take this. It’s a test paper.”
“Oh… that’s right. Yes, yes, yes…”
Dark circles and tears were smudged around Epherene’s eyes.
“Yes…”
It had been three days since Allen was attacked by the tiger. Deculein succeeded in hunting the Great Tiger, but he wasn’t able to find Allen’s body.
“Pull yourself together.”
“…What? Oh… yes.”
For Epherene, what happened that day remained as trauma. She was the last one who had seen Allen. If only she hadn’t been out of her mind with painkillers…
Baam—!
A fountain pen smacked Epherene in the forehead.
“Ugh!”
“I’ll kick you out if you keep doing that.”
“Urrghhh…”
“The exam period will take one month starting tomorrow, and you can carry on with your missions at the same time, or not if you don’t want to.”
“…I will carry on.”
Epherene bowed her head as she answered.
“I’ll get going now.”
She quickly went outside before she cried, and Deculein watched her leave silently.
Thud—!
The door slammed shut. Primienne, who was hugging the heater on the sofa, flinched. When did the Deputy Director sneak in again? Deculein frowned.
“…When are you planning to go?”
Primienne shrugged.
“I still have quite a few things to deal with. Moreover, are you okay Professor?”
“With what?”
“Well, you lost your assistant professor.”
“…”
Deculein scowled at Primienne.
“The sightings of the scouts and the witnesses guarding the barrier were clear.”
They had all seen the tiger taking Allen, thanks to Primienne’s characteristic. She could materialize and embody her thoughts and insert manipulated memories into other people. This was the reason why she was able to become the youngest Deputy Director.
“I’m okay.”
Waaaaaaaahhhhh—!
There was the sound of someone crying in the hallway. It was probably Epherene.
“Is that so. That’s good to-“
Waaaaaaaahhhhh—!
“That’s good to hear.”
Primienne nodded.
“Another assistant-“
Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh—!
“I didn’t think you had another assistant.”
I blocked the noise outside using Silence.
“Growth is a companion to loss.”
“…Well, that’s true. How is the Professor’s arm?”
“It has healed enough for me to continue my mission here in the north.”
“…”
Primienne looked at his arm with an ambiguous expression. He had recovered quickly.
“…More than that, Professor, are you just going to leave them as they are?”
Primienne pointed outside the window to where the Red Garnet Adventurers had set up camp. Ganesha and Reylie, alongside Leo and Lia, were enjoying the warmth of a campfire.
“There’s no reason to restrain them. The Red Garnet Adventurers have immunity, and I don’t see the half-blood. But…”
He stopped speaking and handed over a mirror to Primienne. It was a regular hand mirror.
“Give this to the Red Garnet Adventurers and tell them not to throw it away.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t know what his intentions were, but Primienne nodded for now before standing from the sofa.
“Do you have any plans for the Assistant Professor’s funeral?”
“…”
Deculein buried his body in his chair. He seemed to be thinking deeply.
“If his body is recovered. We can do it then.”
“Hmm… yeah, that is a good plan.”
Primienne spoke without an expression, but she was smiling on the inside.
*****
As soon as Primienne left Deculein’s office, she joined the adventurers at the campfire.
“He said if his body is recovered, then he would hold a funeral.”
It was the standard procedure of a double spy to convey words to each party to earn trust from both.
“Oh…..is that so. He seemed like a sincere guy. He must be like that in reality, too? If he was able to earn the Professor’s heart.”
Ganesha’s eyes were watery. Lia, Leo, and even Reylie were the same. They all looked up at the sky for a moment. Sparkling stars and embers. In there, the bright and innocent wizard’s face seemed to flicker.
“Professor Deculein, he’s not such a snake~. It’s very unexpected.”
To change the gloomy mood, Ganesha smirked and muttered under her breath. Lia also smiled a little, and Reylie twisted her lips.
“…Recover the body? Maybe that guy doesn’t want to acknowledge it either.”
A voice cut in from the other side of the fire. Everyone looked over to see Ihelm holding a bottle of whiskey.
“Well, that’s what happens when you lose your disciple. That guy hates losing something or having something taken away….”
Ihelm took a sip of the whiskey and sat in a nearby wooden chair. Then, he looked into the flickering flames.
“…He has to overcome it himself.”
Then, Reylie glanced to where Julie was standing behind a tree. She wasn’t hiding; she was just standing there. Everyone knew that Julie was there.
“Yes, of course, ~. Moreover, what are you all going to do about the mission~?”
She seemed to hate this gloomy and clammy mood, but when Ganesha was about to shake off the subject…
“Leader Ganesha.”
Primienne called out to Ganesha.
“Huh, yes?”
Ganesha replied with a bright smile. Primienne held out the vintage hand mirror.
“This is a gift from Professor Deculein to you.”
“…?”
A gift from Deculein? Everyone looked at the gift with surprise. Lia asked on behalf of Ganesha, who was in a daze.
“…A gift? From Deculein, that Professor?”
Primienne nodded flatly.
“That’s right. Why, is there a problem?”